www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Text of Address given at Orientale Lumen by Metropolitan +Nicholas

Dear Ung-Certez,

Then the Rusyns will always be welcome in the Ukrainian Catholic Church!

I understand the Rusyn language perfectly!!

Alex

Dear OrthodoxSWE,

Yes, I think Robert could have at least said that there are "Some" Orthodox who aren't very nice .

You are, however!

I've only had run-ins with converts to Orthodoxy!

Some of them really need to grow up, but the same can be said of other converts too.

Alex

I was actually there, and I wish to make the following comments.

First, the text of the speech as written is not quite the same as the speech actually delivered. Second, the tenor of the speech, and the way it was received by ALL the people present, Catholic as well as Orthodox, was highly favorable. Do not get too hung up on terminological exactness, but view all things in charity. Metropolitan Nicholas is a good friend to the Ruthenian Metropolitan Church, and one who truly desires the healing of the divisions between the Church. The main points of his presentation are that the Carpatho-Rusyn are one people, artificially divided by a jurisdictional schism that they neither understand nor accept. I was really quite amazed to hear His Grace say in very explicit terms that there are thousands of Greek Catholics in his parishes, who regularly partake of the Holy Mysteries there, and the (and this is a verbatim quote), "I for one am not going to put up stop signs at the Chalice to keep them away". Metropolitan Nicholas also said that the same situation existed in the Carpathians before the Communist suppression of the Greek Catholic Church, and it exists there now. From his perspective, the separation of the Churches has no validity or credibility at the grass roots level, and what is needed to effect a final healing is a self-emptying, a repudiation of all pretensions by the hierarchies on both sides, Catholic and Orthodox.

To that end, Metropolitan Nicholas does no more than be honest when he points out that there are considerable challenges to overcome, and real differences of opinion. That is merely the truth, and to deny it is to undermine the process of real ecumenism.

It won't help the cause of the Eastern Catholics if, on every occasion, we go looking for reasons to take offense from those Orthodox of good will who are truly on OUR side, and are sympathetic to our plight. Do not go out of your way to nurse false grievances. There are real ones aplenty with which to cope.

Sounds like you converted "from" the Orthodox Church rather than "to" the Catholic communion. Whatever your own personal dissatisfactions with the Orthodox as individuals, I assure you that there are many who are extremely good hearted and holy people, whom I esteem as my brothers and sisters in Christ. And there are many in the Eastern Catholic Church who are just as stubborn and lacking in charity as there are in the Orthodox Church, for the Church is very much a cross section of humanity, and all of us are sinners. So be not so quick to cast unjustified aspersions, particularly upon those who truly are members of your family.

As a final word, there is nothing about communion with the Church of Rome that requires the Orthodox Church or any other family of Churches to "submit" to any other Church, or to any particular bishop. Communion is not about submission, but about mutual respect, love, knowledge and sharing. In such a context, the notion of "supremacy" has no place, though "primacy" certainly does. And in the context of primacy within communion, there is likewise no place for infallibility, save for that of the entire Body of Christ when speaking with one mind.

I see that manners haven't improved here in my absence. Well, I'm back.

Dear Stuart,

Welcome Back!! Yes, bad manners are a problem, I think it comes along with being human. I think it is better than it was last year, but maybe my eardrums have toughened up or something. Your reasonable and experienced voice has been missed.

I was unable to get away from work to attend Orientale Lumen. I thought Metr. Nicholas' remarks were quite reasonable, based on the printed text. As usual, the actual remarks seemed to vary a little from the printed text. And of course, the tone of the speech and the audience response do add texture to the content.

We do seem to spend a lot of time looking for reasons to pick on our separated brothers and sisters and/or to perceive slights and insults where maybe there is only misunderstanding. I thank you for presenting an ear-witness report from a reasonable source. Welcome again!

John
Pilgrim and Odd Duck